Nicholas van Cutsem, who guarded the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's carriage
at the royal wedding, has been cleared of assaulting a soldier during an
Army exercise.

It is a piece of news that will be greeted with as much relief at St James’s Palace as at Hyde Park Barracks. Major Nicholas van Cutsem, who guarded the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s carriage at the royal wedding, has been cleared of assault.

Following an investigation by military police, no action will be taken against Van Cutsem, a close friend of Princes William and Harry, who was accused of assaulting a soldier during an Army exercise.

“We always knew that Nick would be cleared,” says a courtier. “You could not meet a more upstanding officer.”

Van Cutsem, 34, a major with the Household Cavalry’s Life Guards, allegedly struck the soldier with a horsewhip during training. It was claimed that he beat him so fiercely that the whip snapped.

The trooper made a formal complaint and military police launched an investigation. The alleged incident is understood to have taken place when soldiers at Bodney training camp in Norfolk were simulating an attack on the Queen’s state carriage. The trooper was among a group of soldiers posing as rioting protesters battling the carriage’s ceremonial guard.

The outcome of the investigation is understood to have gone down badly with the trooper who made the complaint. He is said to have claimed that the inquiry was a “whitewash” and that officers were keen to avoid a court martial involving a prominent member of William’s future court. The Ministry of Defence says the report into the incident will not be made public.

One of the Duke’s closest friends since childhood, Van Cutsem was given a key role at the royal wedding in April. He commanded the Captain’s Escort of mounted soldiers who accompanied William and Kate in their carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

The Duke was an usher when Van Cutsem married Alice Hadden-Paton in 2009. The couple’s niece, Grace van Cutsem, was one of the Duchess’s bridesmaids

The MoD confirms that “the investigation into the alleged assault on a soldier serving in the Household Cavalry Regiment has been completed”.

A spokesman says: “The Army has concluded its considerations with regards to disciplinary action in relation to this case. It would be therefore be inappropriate to comment further as we do not comment on internal disciplinary action.

“We are not prepared to release any personal information relating to this incident. We have a common law and Data Protection Act duty to protect the personal information of our employees and there is no good reason to release personal information in this case.”